Cleaning apparatus



Dec.'19, 1944. I T. c. CROWLEY 2,365,250

CLEANING APPARATUS Filed June-18, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet l n s a; l D

IN VEN TOR.

760mm? CCPOM ky Dec."1'9, 1944. T. c. CROWLEY CLEANING APPARATUS FiledJune 18, 1943' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVIENTOR.

C Crowley,

Patented Dec. 19, .1944

UN TE STATES PATENT a-OFF]CE v A I w 'LEANl1 V :I P :\I tA U v TurcoProducts, Inc., Los Angeles,.Calif., a corporation of CaliforniaApplication June-18, 1943, Serial No. 491,317

Myinvention has to do with method and apparatus for cleaning surfacesand it is among the principal objects ofthe invention to provide ap-'paratus wherein a pulverulent abrasive such as cleaning operationwithout the creation of objectionable dust v 2 Claims.-

It: is anotherobject to provide-in such an apparatus means fortaking'care of any back pressures that might becreated.

Another object of the-invention is to provide a cleaning unitincorporating the advantages of sand blasting as well as steam andchemical cleaning and which is capable of performing in a singlecleaning operation that which has heretofore required two separateoperations.

My invention also contemplates a novel and highly eflicient method ofcleaning surfaces.

Still further and subordinate advantages are provided by my inventionand how those as well as the objects pointed out are achieved will bebest understood from the following detailed explanation of a presentlypreferred adaptation, for

which purpose I shall refer to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view, partly in section, showing the completeunit;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section showing the nozzle member;

ing a vapor and/or liquid cleaning agent, a mix ing member 8, a finaladmixing and nozzle member 9, and a chemical delivery line I0.

As best shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the hopper has a conical lower side wallportion l2 and a cover lid l4. An outlet member I5 is secured within theneck of the hopper and has a top wall presenting an opening within whichthe circular flange lBa of.a plate I6 is disposed to provide a seat fora valve I! to control feed of the abrasive to the unit. .Valve I1 ispreferably made of a resilient material such as cork or relatively softrubber, inasmuch as the hopper is to contain sand or other pulverulentmaterial, not shown. A valve stem I9 is joumaled for rotathreadedlymounted in an'opening 2| in the cover I 4, andhas an o'p'erating'c'rank22. Thus, as the crank 22 is'manually rotated, the valve I! may beraised or lowered to open or close the hopper v abrasive nature, I findit preferable to line member as with a suitable plastic lining 3 8.

The mixingv member 8 has its inlet end 40 threadedly mounted in theoutlet end of member 35 and has a transverse bore 42 and a longitudinalbore 43 communicating with a mixing chamber 44. Bore 43 discharges intoa curved pocket 45 opening into the'bottom of chamber 44. A nipple ismounted in bore 42, being held against escape by wing screw 5|, thedischarge end of the nipple extending beyond the point of discharge ofbore 43 into the chamber. The outlet hose 6a' is connected to the mixingchamber 8 by means of adapter held in position by wing.

screw 56. To prevent back pressure in chamber 44, adapter 55 and line Soare of relatively large interior diameter. In a typical use of myapparatus the inlet end of line 6 is connected to an air compressor, notshown, although for some uses it may be connected to a source forsupplying water under pressure, likewise not shown.

The nozzle member 9 is comprised of a body portion 60, having a threadedopening Ella and an inlet b, the latter opening angular to thelongitudinal axis of the body. A discharge tube 5| has its inlet endthreaded into the opening 60a and is there connected to hose 6a. Thedischarge end of tube 6| is concentric with the discharge of the body 60and is spaced from the inner surface thereof.

Aline l, which preferably has its inlet end connected toa source ofsteam, not shown, has its discharge end connected to opening 602) of thetion in a bracket 20 and adjacent its top end it is 55 nozzle, therebeing a manual control valve in the line. Chemical supply line Ill hasits discharge end connected into line I by means of a T Illa and has itsinlet connected to a liquid or chemical source, not shown. A manualcontrol valve lllb may be provided in line II].

In operation, with valve ll, 65 and lllb open and line 6 connected to anair compressor, the

sand or other abrasive material in the hopper drops by gravity intopocket 45 in chamber 44 and is there picked up by the vacuum created bythe discharge of air under pressure from nipple 50, and is carried alongto be discharged through tube 6| in the nozzle. Bore 42 through mixingchamber 8 is preferably disposed'in a downwardly slopingnplane toIurther facilitate the abrasive being picked up by the air stream.:

Simultaneously, the steam enters the nozzles through line I, carrying inadmixture therewith.

a chemical from line H]. The chemical and steam vcharged from the nozzleannularly of the discharge end of tube 6|, so that thespulverizedabrasive being discharged from tube Stisen:

circled by the tubular stream of steam and cleaning chemical. If for anyreasonzthere should 00-;

our any back pressure in chamber 44, the rubber check valve 30immediately flexies into contact with. theend: of :neck; 2.5; and stopthe .gravity'flow' orsand sodongas the. back pressure remains:

While, in, the foregoingpl have. resorted to com siderable detail of.structure and association .of

such; details. i On the. contrary; invention .is only to. be;limitedziassappearsxin. the-appended claims...- i I claimr:

1. Cleaning apparatus rcomDIisin '.;,1n. combie nation, a hopper adaptedto contain a pulve'ruent abrasive, a line for supplying steam underpressure, a nozzle having concentric substan tially coplanar dischargeorifices, a fluid line .capable of delivering fluid under pressure andhaving its outlet communicating with the innermost of the dischargeorifices, and a passageway leading from thehopper to, the fluid linewhereby abrasiveis received from the hopper by gravity flow anddeposited in the fluid line, a check valve in ,said passageway seatingtowards the hopper,

' said line for supplying steam under pressure haventer the nozzle in aswirling stream and aredis--- ing itsontlet end communicating with theoutermost of the discharge orifices.

2. Cleaning apparatus comprising, in combin'atloma hopper. adapted tocontain a pulverulent abrasive, a line for supplying steam underpressure; .a nozzle having concentric substantially ooplanar dischargeorifices, a fluid line capable of delivering fluid under pressure andhaving its outlet; communicating with the-innermost otthe dischargevorifices, anda passageway leading, from. the hopper to the fluidline-whereby abrasive is received from the hopper and deposited inthefluid line, a valve.seatinsaidpassageway, a relativelysoft elastic.check, valve normallyspaced municating. with the. outermostof, thedischarge.

orifices.

THOMAS, .C.v CROWLEY...-

